Gates a



(No Model.)

-lLIULILI Z//W s l zia GATES A. CLARK, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLARKS PATENT COKIN G AND SMOKELESS FURNACE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FU RNACE.

SPECIPICATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,947, dated November 13, 1888.

Application filed January 17, 1888. Serial No. 160.976.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GATES A. CLARK, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented an Improvement 1n Furnaces, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to coking-furnaces of [o that class wherein soft or bituminous coal and wood and other like carbonaceous substances may be converted into coke, and the Volatile products normally contained in the said coal or other substance, and which is driven off by the heat of the fire, may be conducted below and made to pass up through the grate in the combustion-chamber or re-box to increase the tire therein, thereby obtaining a maximum amount of heat from the said coal or other mazo terial.

This invention is an improvement upon the furnace shown and described in United States Patent No. 333,995, granted to me January l2, 1886, and has for one ofits objects to construct the said furnace as will be described, whereby the coal or other material to be coked may be fed into the retort or coking-chamber substantially in a continuous manner, and the coke continuously discharged therefrom upon 3o the grate in the fire-box.

The particular. features in which my invention consists will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section of a sufficient 3 5 portion of a coking-furnace embodying myinvention to enable it to be understood, the boiler being in elevation, the section being taken on line .fr x, Fig. 2; and Fig. 2, a section of Fig. l on line x x', the top of one of the 4o retorts or chambers being broken out to show the perforations.

The furnace a, preferably of masonry, and having the fire-box or combustion-chamber a', provided with the usual grate, a2, contains, as

herein shown, the boiler c3.

The fire-box a has extended into it, preferably from opposite sides thereof, one or more retorts, chambers, or receptacles, b, preferably of iron, to contain the coal or other carbonaceous material to be eoked, the said retort being supported, as shown, by the masonry.

(No model.)

The retort b communicates with a chamber, b', in the wall of the furnace, and into which the coal b2 or other material is fed, as shown, through a chute, b3, provided with a door, b4, the said chamber being separated by a wall. b5, from a flue or passage, Z1, extended below the retort and communicating with the ashpit c of the fire-box a through a passage, c', in the side of the said fine.

The top or upper side of that portion of the retort b extended into the fire-box is provided, as shown, with perforations or slits, constituting gas-outlets c2 for the said retort, through which communication is established, as shown, between the interior of the retort and an auxiliary chamber, c, connected to the fine L, and formed by the cap c", shown asapart of the retort. y

The coal or other carbonaceous material 7o such as wood-fed into the chamber b is forced into the retort, as shown, by means of a plunger, d, herein shown as part of a rack-bar, d, driven by a pinion, d2, on a shaft, d3, extended outside the furnace and having, as shown, a handle, d", by which power may be applied by hand to feed the coal into the retort; but it is ievident that the said power might be applied by machinery.

The coal in the retort is subjected to the 8o heat of the :fire in the fire-box, and the water and volatile products are expelled therefrom through the outlets c2 into the auxiliary chamber c, from whence they pass, as shown, through the flue b and passage c' into the ash- 85 pit, and thence up through the grate and the bed of fire thereon, the said gaseous products being consumed on the passage through the said fire-bed.

The end of the retort within the fire-box is 9o made larger to compensate for the swelling of the coke, which in practice takes place to such an extent as to practically close that end of the retort, thus preventing escape of gases therefrom directly into the dre-box.

In practice the number of retorts employed varies according to the size of the boiler. I have herein shown each retort as connected to an independent chamber, b', provided with a chute, and to an independent iiue or passage, ico DG,- but instead thereofthe chambers b may be made as one continuous chamber, and the passages L as one continuous passage, and when -so built the coal maybe discharged into said two or more doors in the side wall, as in theV present instance.

The chamber b, as herein shown, communicates at its upper end with the line b, so that any vapors driven off from the coal in the chamber b by the heat ofthe furnace may be carried into the fire-box.

In operation the coal, which has been coked, and which is located near the end of the retort Within the firebox, is displaced by fresh coal forced into the end of the retort communicating' with the chamber b by the plunger, the said coal being gradually coked as it is forced from the inlet to the outlet end of the retort. It will thus be seen that fresh coal is being fed into the retort as fast as that within the retort is coked and discharged therefrom, thus supplying the fire in the tire-box with fuel as fast as required.

l. In a cohing-furnace, a lire-box, a chamber to receive coal or other material, as described, to be coked, a retort communicating with the said chamber, and a fine or passage connecting said retort with the f1re-box below the grate, combined with a plunger' to feed the coal from the said chamber into the said retort and thence into the hre-box, substantially as described.

2. In a coking-furnace, a rebox, a grate therein, and a flue communicating with the said fire-box, combined with a stationary retort, as b, provided with open ends through which the coke is fed into the fire-box, and having a gas-outlet communicating with the said iiue, substantially as described.

3. In a coking-furnace, a hre-box, a grate therein, and a flue communicating with the said fire-box, combined with a stationary retort and an auxiliary chamber, as c3, communi eatin-g therewith and with the said flue, substantially as described.

4. In a coking-furnace, a fire-box, a grate therein, a' chamber to receive coal or other material, as described, to be coked7 and a ue communicating with the hre-box below the said grate, combined with a retort extended through said flue and communicating with the coal-chamber and fire-box, and with an auxiliary chamber, as c, connecting the said retort and flue, substantially as described.

5. In a coking-furnace1 a fire-box, a grate therein, a chamber to receive coal or other material, as described, to be coked, and aflue communicating with the ii-re-box below the said grate, combined with a retort extended through said fine and communicating with the coal-chamber and firebox, and provided with gas-outlets communicating with the said tlne, substantially as described.

6. In aeoking-i'urnace, a fire-box and a grate therein, a chamber' to receive coal or other material, as described, to be coked, and communicati ng with the fire-box, and a fine communicating with the fire-box below the grate, combined with a plunger to feed the coal from its chamber into the iire-box, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeilication in the presence of two subscribin g witnesses.

GAfrns A. CLARK.

Witnesses: Y

GEO. F. GALLAGHER, EDWARD Wnissrna. 

